Trek

Location:
India

Trek to Goecha La

By Partha

A Trek to Kanchenjunga Preperation We were five of us going on trek to Dzongri and Goecha La in March 2006. Arriving in Gangtok, we contacted trek operator who advised us to do the trek in 10 days. We wanted to leave immediately. So everything was organized quickly. Dipak and Satyaki had trekked a bit earlier but never at 16,000 feet of elevation of Goecha La. Once the guide and porters were decided we drove on jeep to the village of Yuksom, close to Nepal. At Yuksom had assembled our team, a guide, two porters, a yak shepherd and two yaks. We carried light backpacks while rest of gears were divided among porters and yaks. We headed out for a tough trek on a bright morning of early November for our first stopover, Tsoka (10,000), 16 km away. Lost Among Himalayan Splendour Soon we were into dense forest. There was a well-worn, rocky trail leading to Tsoka. We were passing through forests of ferns, bamboo, moss covered trees, hanging vines . . . and of course, and never far from the trail were steep plunges into the valleys below. Then came the glorious sight of Mt. Pandim in our view. From great distance on a hilltop, we could faintly see handful of trekkers' huts that comprise Tsoka. We took nearly six hours to make the journey. Early on, the path fell as much as it rose. We crossed worn out suspension bridges over a few rivers. From the last river crossing, it was two and a half hours of uninterrupted climbing to Tsoka, and in some places very steep. We were closely following our guide and porters who were amazingly quick despite their load. The strength and stamina of these so seemingly diminutive fellows is really incredible We had companions at the trekkers' cabin. About fifteen other hikers arrived later. We had the luxury of a table and chairs, where we sat and talked. There were Germans, Israelis and we. Every night we had soup, cooked vegetables, a rice or noodle dish, desert, and lots of coffee and tea. It was warm while walking at daytime but with the sun setting, temperature fell considerably though our sleeping bags were adequate. On the whole, cold was never really a big problem and weather was friendly. As were advised we stayed the next day in Tsoka for rest and acclimatisation. A small group of Tibetans live in Tsoka during the trekking season, catering to hikers. Next day, we were to trek to Dzongri. The distance was only about half the distance we covered the first day, but it was a much steeper climb. In about four hours, we ascended another 3,000 feet. We reached a point where the vegetation changed from trees to mostly just shrub-like rhododendrons. By the end of the day we were at 13,000 feet. There wasn't nearly so much plant life as there had been at lower elevations. We were, however, above the clouds by that time, so we had great views of the nearby peaks that had previously been hidden. But the biggest gain was sighting rare Red Panda sitting on a tree. It behaved as if posing for being photographed. The Great Sunrise The next morning, we got up early and went out to climb Observation point near Dzongri to watch the sunrise light up the mountains. The climb proved to be much more difficult than we had anticipated. The Kabrus were incredible, with the mountains lit up pink and red and orange as the sun rose. While Kanchenjunga changed colours with time and it can be seen from my photographs. The hike from Dzongri to Tangshing took us through the most spectacular natural scenery. The Dzongri trekkers' hut is in a sort of bowl shaped depression. Once we climbed out though, there was a pleasant, rolling path through a sort of meadow. The meadow was actually in a valley, with snowy peaks soaring up on either side. The hike became much more difficult once we came to a long, steep descent to a river crossing far below that would take us to Tangshing. The path was strewn with loose gravel. Exhausted, we made it to Tangshing. The Summit and Facing World’s Third Loftiest Mountain The next day we were to make climb to Goecha La, a mountain pass at just under 16,000 feet of elevation, where we would be face to face with Kanchenjunga. The hiking that day, at such an altitude, was very difficult. Our path followed a river through a valley between ridges of massive peaks on either side. At about the halfway point to Goecha La, we came to Samiti Lake. Along the banks of the breathtakingly blue water, wild yaks and mountain sheep grazed, making quite a picturesque scene. The valley we were climbing through acted as a sort of wind tunnel, with cold air screaming down from the mountains. Not far past Samiti, we had to cross a sort of high altitude desert--a vast expanse of loose gravel. The wind kicked up so much dust that I was all but blinded us. Past the desert, and a descent that had us scrambling downward on all fours, we began climbing in earnest. Even the slightest incline was difficult to walk up. After about 5 hours of hiking, prayer flags came into sight on a ridge above--Goecha La was in sight. With the end seemingly so near, we pushed on, and reached the top. The views were absolutely stunning. Close by on either side were towering, jagged massifs. Just below where I sat was another lake of brilliant aqua. And of course, Kanchenjunga loomed dead ahead, still quite a ways off, but gargantuan in appearance nonetheless. We couldn't savor our accomplishment for long, as we had hours of hiking ahead for the return journey to Tangshing. Like every good thing, a splendid trek come to an end and we promised to return again.

Further Information

Other helpful information: Trekkers must have guide and a cook. If load is more, they may hire yaks.

Must see/do at this place: One of the most beautiful trek through Kanchenjunga National Park. Rhododendron forest really thrills you with colours and you might signt rare Red Panda, too. Most glorious is the 3rd highest mountains on earth, Kanchenjunga and sunrise over it is an unforgettable sight. Travel is along some of the highest peaks on earth.

You should avoid here: Avoid needless exposure to cold and take care to prevent high altitude sickness by aclamatising for 2days at lower reaches.